Milford election: Incumbent Michael Boyle faces challenger Linda Bretzer
Milford Councilman Michael Boyle will be challenged by Linda Bretzer in an April 23 election.
Five of nine council seats were up for election, but incumbents Andrew Fulton, Brian Baer, Katrina Wilson and Mayor Arthur Campbell were uncontested. They and the election winner will serve two-year terms.
Ward One residents can vote Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Public Works Facility at 180 Vickers Dr.
Boyle and Bretzer were each sent an identical questionnaire. Their answers are presented below unedited.
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Linda Bretzer
Why are you qualified for this office?
I believe I qualify for this office, because I have called Milford home for 15+ years now. I love my city, and I believe it's time for a fresh new look and change in the City Council. I have seen the growth and what has changed for the better or the worse, and I know I can be an asset to the city. I want those in Ward 1 to know who I am and if they have an issue, to feel they can come to me to bring it up at the City Council meeting.
What do you think are the top three issues facing Milford and how do you plan on tackling them?
With the influx of people moving here, our highways have gotten very congested. The people of Milford are being left behind with the dreams of the City growing and expanding. Senior citizens and disabled people need more housing, more retail outlets to shop at, and a supermarket located strategically close to low income/senior citizens housing. I feel that some of these abandoned houses could be fixed up and rented out at a reasonable rent for hard working individuals needing a place to live. We have to slow down and start to find out what the people who live here want.
Milford is poised for growth. How do you propose to balance that growth with the need for infrastructure?
Again, infrastructure has to slow down to allow work on the basic necessities of the city. I believe the city should look at the city. Since Save-A-Lot left, most disabled seniors haven't a supermarket close by to shop. Constructing needed infrastructure (and not more expensive condos) in strategic areas will boost the morale of this city and hence, bring more people here. Before continuing on a rapid pace like we have, our local roads need an upgrade from traffic conditions, to city streets not capable of handling the influx of vehicles. When you can't cross going west to east on the green light because the major highway traffic in the city going from north to south is blocking the intersection, then there's a major problem. This is now occurring every day, any time of the day.
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Michael Boyle
Why are you qualified for this office?
QUALIFICATIONS
• Milford City Council since 2018
• Served for 3 ½ years on Milford Planning and Zoning Commission
• Department of Defense, Contractor Policy Analyst for 17 years
• Retired, U.S Army
EDUCATION
• Lieutenant Colonel Retired: U.S. Army with 28 + years of service
• Graduate of U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
• Graduate of LaSalle University
VOLUNTEER WORK
• Meadows At Shawnee HOA Board of Directors
• Served on the Milford Middle School Committee
The main reason I am running for re-election is my strong personal commitment to Milford; it is my home.
My background has instilled in me the temperament and understanding of what it takes to achieve results. I want to see Milford thrive while maintaining its small town feel and charm, sustain a solid jobs base, provide good affordable housing, continue to provide first class policing for a safe diverse community.
My years of experience on the Planning Commission and City Council places me in a better position to best serve the residents of Ward 1. As a member of the City Council my primary concern has always been for the people who live and work in Milford. I am excited about Milford’s future potential and want to continue working to bring it about.
Additionally, I have posted a short YouTube video Mike Boyle – Milford City Council Election 2022 stating my reasons for seeking re-election and my vision for Milford’s future. It can be viewed here.
What do you think are the top three issues facing Milford and how do you plan on tackling them?
Milford’s biggest need is to bring new jobs offering good salaries that will provide residents, particularly our younger residents, with opportunities for financial growth, stability and personal satisfaction. To help achieve that goal, the City Council approved the purchase of the 180+ acre Fry Farm property for the construction of an industrial park to attract new manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and service industry jobs.
Next, to expanding employment, continued growth and enhanced quality of life remain the next important issues facing Milford.
Milford continues to experience significant growth now nearing 12,000 residents. With growth come many challenges the City must face to meet increasing demands for the services necessary to support a growing community. Implementing and maintaining plans and programs to manage growth while also sustaining an environment that supports economic development of existing businesses is key.
With the large amount of available land in South East Milford, Ward 1, it is anticipated that there will be continued growth in housing, commercial and retail development, and health care services with strong employment potential to benefit residents in Ward 1.
Choosing someone with the knowledge and understanding of the City’s approval processes is important to safeguard that any planned project conforms to all pertinent city codes to better ensure suitable assimilation with existing neighborhoods and surrounding areas is important to the residents of ward 1.
For me, the quality of life is achieved in a place that offers a solid jobs base, a diverse community, with a variety of good and affordable housing options, a robust infrastructure network to meet citizen demands, a first-class police Department ensuring a safe community, and a good school system.
Already seen as an excellent place to live and raise a family, Milford’s future is even brighter due to its sound fiscal management that keeps taxes low, its full complement of reliable municipal services, and its expanding employment and commercial base, its developing network of parks to be connected by a system of hiking and biking trails, and its first-class police department.
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Milford is poised for growth. How do you propose to balance that growth with the need for infrastructure?
With growth comes an ever increasing demand for a viable infrastructure network capable of meeting the demand for current and future expanded services. This is an ongoing activity for the City’s Public Works and Planning Departments, and its Information Technology Office as they prepare to satisfy the steadily increasing demands for infrastructure support to meet continual growth.
Milford is developing, executing and coordinating plans to ensure full serviceability of the City’s current infrastructure. For example, establishing schedules to repair streets, replacement schedules for sewer, electric, replacing old lead water lines, improving street lighting, and expanding Citywide telecommunication capabilities.
Anticipating expanding service demands, Milford pre-installs service lines for water, sewer and conduits for electric services in areas where future development is planned as roads are repaired or constructed to avoid having to go back and tear them up some time in the future.
Looking to the future Milford is developing strategies capable of providing cyber security and emerging technologies with the capabilities to support increasing data management needs with robust capacity, to serve an ever expanding range of requirements. The City is also planning to provide electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at select locations.
Currently, Milford is engaged with DelDOT conducting a South East Transportation Improvement District (TID) study to better identify the transportation improvements to support future growth impacts in South East Milford, Ward 1, for the purpose of securing required improvements to transportation facilities in this area. Forecasting traffic on the roads, based on the future land use plan, permits the identification of key locations that need improvements putting future traffic management ahead of the curve and not playing “catch up.”
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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Milford city council election: Incumbent faces challenger
